ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. staff — employees
  3. pop — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. cap — a hat
  6. dip — to sink
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. staff — a stick
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bat — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com